Shogun by James Clavell (1975, Hardcover)

first, i was disappointed when i saw the shape the book was in. the description did not reflect the actual condition of the book. it's about to fall apart. we'll have to have it rebound. secondly, i could not tell by the description that it was only book 1, not the complete book. sorry, but true.

Shogun is the story of an English adventurer named Blackthorn. He was the Pilot-Major of the ship Erasmus out of Rotterdam. This was the only ship of a very small fleet that made it all the way to Japan and therefore made Blackthorn the first Englishman to reach Japan. He shipwrecks into feudal Japan and immediately gets invloved with the explosive politics of the day. Japan had a collection of feudal lords known as Daimyos who were led by the Shogun. Based on history, this book gives an intimate look at the samurai culture, the everyday way of life, the politics of the era, military details, history, and much more while telling an incredibly exciting story at the same time. Blackthorn is overwhelmed by the cultural differences of this new country while using every wit he has just to stay alive. He finds, romance, adventure, and all he can handle in this best-selling book. This book is part of a series of historically based fiction books that compliment each other to form a sort of larger story over a very wide time frame. King Rat, Noble House, Tai-Pan, Whirlwind, and Gai-Jin are the other books that complete James Clavell's Asian Saga.

The book is as it was described, that's the second time I read it. It's always a pleasure, thanks.
Dino